Lincoln Continental Luxury Sedan Spied Testing

Lincoln recently shocked the industry with the reveal of the Lincoln Continental Concept at the 2015 New York auto show. The stylish concept was a very big step in the right direction for the struggling automaker. At the initial debut, Lincoln confirmed the Continental was soon headed to production, and it seems Lincoln has already starting testing the luxury sedan that should launch next year.

The production Lincoln Continental is expected to be based on a stretched version of the new Ford Taurus that recently debuted at the 2015 Shanghai auto show. As these photos show, the Continental’s proportions point toward it utilizing front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. The Lincoln Continental concept has a Lincoln-exclusive 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6, and given that we know the new Ford Taurus packs a 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, it seems feasible that a slightly larger version would fit for the Continental. The rear seats in the next-generation Taurus will recline, similar to those in the Continental concept.

Stylistically, glimpses through the heavy camouflage reveal the Lincoln Continental’s Bently-esque grille carries over into production, along with the thin LED-headlights. On the inside, the production Continental could offer the 30-way adjustable rear executive seats found in the concept. High-gloss chrome trim found in the concept might not make the transition to production, but expect the Continental’s interior to be as premium as that of the Cadillac CT6, one of the Lincoln’s prime competitors.

Take a look at the future of Lincoln’s flagship in the photo gallery below.